PEDAL, Edinburgh

Residents in Portobello, Edinburgh, established PEDAL (Portobello Transition Town) in late 2005 in order to celebrate the community’s victory in a long campaign against a planning application for a new supermarket.

PEDAL was initially set up as an unincorporated association to pursue what the community really wanted, a vibrant, sustainable Portobello that can help combat climate change and build local resilience by reducing dependence on fossil fuels. By taking local assets into community and creating a sustainable local economy, control, PEDAL aims to enhance local quality of life while helping the planet at the same time. PEDAL initially hosted a number of events throughout 2006 aimed at getting people talking about the issues and finding out what they wanted to see happen in response. This was followed by extensive community consultations in 2008 and 2009, using funding from the Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund. In 2009, PEDAL became a Company Limited by Guarantee, with nine volunteer directors. In January 2010, they received further funding for the Climate Challenge Fund and now have a 25-year lease on land being converted to a community orchard. They run a monthly organic market, a range of training courses and are exploring the potential for a large wind turbine that will generate income for more local projects.